{
  "id": 10770969,
  "title": "Some Russian notaries won’t certify powers of attorney for draft-age men seeking representation at enlistment offices unless the men prove they have no pending summonses, rights groups say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/some-russian-notaries-wont-certify-powers-of-attorney-for-draft-age",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T19:41:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/09/29/some-russian-notaries-won-t-certify-powers-of-attorney-for-draft-age-men-seeking-representation-at-enlistment-offices-unless-the-men-prove-they-have-no-pending-summonses-rights-groups-say"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rights groups have reported instances of Russian notaries refusing to certify powers of attorney for men of draft age who wish to have someone represent them at enlistment offices and draft boards. These notaries are demanding proof that the applicants have no pending summonses. In Moscow, a notary required an applicant to log into the summons register and demonstrate the absence of summonses. A mother in Samara approached multiple notaries who insisted on obtaining a record from the summons register via a government portal, though no specific law was cited. Despite providing the record, some notaries still refused to include provisions allowing a representative to handle the son's removal from the military registry or act on his behalf during military medical evaluations. Another conscript from Samara reported that three out of four notaries he approached requested a record from the military registry, while one agreed to notarize a power of attorney for submitting applications to the enlistment office but not for removal from the military registry. Rights groups argue that notaries do not have the authority to require such records as a condition for notarizing a power of attorney. The unified military registry and summons register, both fully operational since May 2025, contain information on individuals liable for military service and issued summonses, respectively.",
  "summary": "The rights groups School for Conscripts and the Movement of Conscientious Objectors say they have received reports from Moscow and the Samara region of notaries refusing to issue powers of attorney that would authorize others to represent conscripts at military enlistment offices and draft boards.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}